blizair09

Yay! Congratulations.

22 minutes ago, Kakes-daddy said:

I’m glad to read that I’m not the only one to struggle with the liquid diet. My dr. Has a pretty strict 30 day plan for all patients and it’s tough! I cheated last night with steak N’ eggs and it was worth it I’ve been starving all week. My question does anyone’s doctor allow eggs on their liquid diet? Mine doesn’t

I have never heard of eggs being a part of a liquid diet. In fact, I couldn't have eggs until 4 weeks post-op.

I know how hard the liquid portions of the diet are. You know that you will have a significant period of liquids only post-op. The difference is if you "cheat" it can become a life and death situation.

30 days pre-op is a really long time for liquids. I have never heard of anything so drastic. That has to be physically and emotionally demanding. I would suggest two things: First, tell your surgeon what you have done. If you trust someone to cut into you, he or she should know the entire accurate picture of your current situation. Second, move on and try harder to be compliant moving forward. Your surgeon has you doing this for a reason.

This journey is hard -- very hard. If you want to be successful long term, you have to commit to doing what you need to do. And this is extra important when your life (yes, your life) can depend on these good decisions post-op.

Good luck!

I do have it occasionally with no problems.

Google three week stall. It happens to everyone.

On 2/15/2018 at 2:00 PM, Newme17 said:

You look great btw!

Thanks :-)

Just now, ready4change88 said:

This diet is killing me lol

Real results require hard work. Stick to it.

19 minutes ago, Newme17 said:

I haven't noticed much difference at all, I'm not at skinny and don't ever plan to be...maybe I can give a better answer when I hit "fit". But 81lbs down...of all the people I associate with they are still just as accepting and nice to me as before. Strangers..nope, no difference. Men, I don't pay attention...I've got my husband who has all my attention. (Ya'll can all just go throw up now...lol)

Not to disagree (and I'm not), but you can be fit and skinny at the same time. I'm in the best health of my life and I'm skinny. My PCP and surgeon and associated staffs both back that up! :-)

EDIT: I should read closer. You go girl.

15 minutes ago, Seahawks Fan said:

What are you drinking? Try some vegan Protein Powder like GARDEN OF LIFE. It has so many Vitamins & nutrients in it that most other shakes don’t. I used a few different brands & was allowed to blend in fruit as long as I didn’t go over 15g of carbs. I never once deviated from the plan. It’s not worth having your surgery canceled when they find out your liver hasn’t shrank or whatever other reason. I also believe that if you cheat it will cause slower healing or complications but that’s just my opinion. The sacrifice is so worth it. Good luck! By the way my liquid diet was 28 days.

28 days? Good God...

The thing that most people on here seem to forget is that you should be making lifelong changes and looking at this transition as a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time. You will see it. You will be successful if you do what you are supposed to do.

Stop being in a hurry and devote yourself to changing your relationship with food. That is what will get you where you want to be.

Good luck!

Just now, kakatlady612 said:

Justin Wowee wow wow, who would have thought that was lurking underneath. You look vibrantly healthy and fit. So proud of you, give yourself a pat on the back, you look flexible enough to do that.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

And the reach your back ability is one of the best parts of losing all this weight!!! Good line!

Good for you! Congratulations. Isn't life great?!?

1 minute ago, Blondietex said:

Thanks. I know post-op will be no picnic, and that's why I've not considered this as an option until now hoping I could work out stuff on my own. It's also why I'm giving myself 5 months and dedicating additional dollars to figure some stuff out.

I think the key is finding that counselor/psychologist now so I can figure out what's up with my head. I've changed a lot about my typical eating and fitness over the past 20 years since I gained this weight, The past 3 years, I've been an on-again, off-again CrossFit person and stick to Paleo & Whole 30 diet, but then I'll fall off the wagon. In 6 - 8 months, I'll gain back what I've lost and lose my fitness gains (happens faster now that I'm closer to 50). I've gained and lost the same freaking 30 - 40 pounds numerous times over the years and never lose the last 50-60.

I think loosing momentum 4 weeks in is what made this time different, and why I was asking if others found it even harder to stay on track as the surgery date loomed closer.

I've been on these boards (taking a break from it occasionally) for 2 years now. And I have seen more posts than I could ever count about gaining weight prior to the surgery. So many of these people treat the surgery as if it will "fix" everything. It won't. (And I'm not saying that you think that.) This journey has been a bigger commitment so far than earning my PhD. No joke.

Finding a professional to help you is probably a good idea. The mental battle of this journey is way more intense than the physical one.

27 minutes ago, Chopin said:

Interested in knowing about the challenges/ tips for travel to foreign countries after you have healed from gastric sleeve procedures. Thank you.

I did a tour of SE Asia (Singapore; KL, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam) at 3 months post-op. I had no issues. I just kept to my Keto way of eating and there was meat and green vegetables anywhere that I went.

For the plane rides (and the long flight was 15+ hours from ATL-ISN), I took almonds, ParmCrisps, and some turkey Jerky. I was in business class, so the food was more or less accommodating (especially considering the limited quantities I could consume at that point). I also took ziploc bags so that I could hang on to some of the meat to eat a little bit later. (I had the flight attendant put some ice in another baggie for me to keep it coolish. They looked at me like I was insane, but they did it....) I also took an entire tub of Protein Powder in ziploc bags in my checked bag (with a little bit in my carryon).

All in all, it was pretty easy. I had to be very mindful of eating. But we always have to be mindful of eating.

Have a great time wherever your travels may take you!

I was just the opposite. I had to do a six month pre-op diet program for insurance to pay for the surgery, and once I started, I started. I lost 99 pounds during that six months and it set me on a path of great success with this entire journey.

Only you can make the decision to do as you need to do. And trust me, it is NO CAKEWALK post-op. In fact, not only are you dealing with having to follow certain food guidelines (as is it is a matter or life or death), you are also dealing with your body desperately trying to heal. The whole process is easier if you have dealt with what you can deal with before they cut into your body.

Food for thought. Do with it what you will. Those six months were the best thing that happened to me.

Wishing you the best.

A few thoughts to start:

1. If you know that you haven't been eating and drinking as you should, only you can deal with that. And if you want to be successful long term, you HAVE TO DO THAT.

2. I'm so proud that you decided to hunker down and do what you have to do. That being said, stalls are a huge part of the process. I've lost 225 pounds, and the period of stall over the past 16 months FAR exceeds the period of loss. The loss came in chunks preceded by and followed by a 2 week or so stall.

3. If the stalls (and the process in general) is going to lead to feelings and actions that you described in your post, you need to find a therapist that specializes in work with bariatric patients because what you described is not healthy at all.

The only way to be successful in this journey is to change your relationship with food. Part of that is not using food as a reward, a comfort, or a crutch. Please don't give up. Nothing about this journey is easy, but if you do what you need to do, and keep to your plan, the other side is such a WONDERFUL PLACE!

Best to you.

How many calories are you taking in per day? Carbs? Protein? How much Water are you taking in per day? What do you do for exercise?

In terms of the every 2 hours thing, I eat about every 2 hours all day long and have since I had the surgery 16 months ago. I have to eat this way to be able to meet all of my necessary macros each day.

You've likely hit a stall, which is going to happen over and over again. It is just part of the process. But knowing more information about your situation will allow people to give you some more useful advice...

2 hours ago, Aworknprogress said:

I have a question on this topic,,I'm not scheduled for surgery until mid march.All the way up to the day I was scheduled for surgery I was being told I would have to do a liquid diet for 7-10 days before surgery.However now I'm being told I only have to be on a liquid diet 24 hrs prior to surgery...has anyone ever heard of this?I thought it was kinda weird

I have found that many doctors require many different things, though the 2 week pre-op liquid seems to be the most common.

I lost so much weight on my own during my six month pre-op diet program that my surgeon didn't require any pre-op liquid diet for me. He just required nothing after midnight the night before the surgery (which is standard for any surgery). He did require the 2 week pre-op liquid normally, but he said I was a special case.

I started my journey at 397 with my six month pre-op diet program. I lost 99 pounds during that six months, weighing 298 on the day of surgery. I met my goal of 180 at 1 year and 4 days post-op, meaning that I had lost 217 pounds total and 118 pounds since the surgery. I lost another 7 pounds over the following few weeks and have been maintaining at 173 for several months now.

1 minute ago, Creekimp13 said:

If you expect me to worry about hurt feelings for talking about stereotypes and vague generalizations...you're barking up the wrong tree.

That would be like me worrying about you calling me a mean gurl. BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! LOLOLOLOL:)

Psst...

Pot?

It's the Kettle...

You're black:)

I'm not sure exactly who this refers to, but when I mentioned a "mean girls group," I was referring to a group of people who were, shall we say, forcibly removed from BP long before you came here. I was commenting on something @summerset had written, as she was here at that time.

Puking freaks me out. Especially in the early days, it was a big motivator for weighing food, eating specific amounts, and never getting to the point of full (let alone overly full).

1 minute ago, summerset said:

I think especially the long term users are very interesting, both when it comes to cliques and how they treat new members. Highschool school yard anyone?

I wasn't thinking about the old mean girls group from back when. Good point.

2 minutes ago, summerset said:

You could do that on almost any internet board that has long term users though.

Probably...

While any analysis would need to include samples of users across the board (new people, drop ins, long term users, etc.), I would find the long term users the least interesting, at least academically. (Though that might be, in the case of BP especially, that there aren't as many because people either don't get on after a time, or they drop back in because they haven't been successful.)

Absolutely, yes.

I'm gay and became single and skinny (and yes, I'd describe myself as skinny now) at the same time. Re-entering the gay single/dating scene after nearly 9 years was daunting, but I tell you, I am having my 20s in my 40s. It is absolutely amazing, and would NEVER have happened before. (And I'm not talking about not happening at the 400 pound me; this wouldn't have happened at the 250 pound me, or maybe even the 200 pound me.)

Work wise (and there is another thread about this), I'm getting way more attention and accolades from across the company as well. That, too, is amazing.

It is sad, really, but it is a part of life. I'm happier than I have ever been as an adult. And that is part of my motivation to never gain a pound back and why I am a “protein addict,” a “documentarian,” a “size queen,” and a “stuck veteran” as was pointed out in another tacky thread...

You need to do what you need to do to be healthy. If he persists, I'd begin to question if this relationship is right for you, to be honest.

I'm not leaving my job (I've been with the company for 12 years and am a director now), but I can comment on this.

My team is wonderful (those above and below me), but since I have lost all of this weight, I have been treated very differently by other teams, departments, and divisions within my very large company.

Case in point -- I made a presentation at a sales meeting last fall. It was awesome, but I am always awesome. I had people at all levels (even SVPs and even people who had seen me present a million times) going completely crazy. And it was all over my new appearance.

That is really sad. If this had been going on within my team, it would be another story. I completely get what you are saying and wish you luck in finding something new.